1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates in general to manual hand-held razor structures, cartridges and systems for shaving various parts of the human body. More particularly the present invention concerns dual headed razors.
2. Description of the Background Art
Shaving razors have been known in a variety of forms. Individuals employ shaving razors of various designs to tackle a variety of shaving challenges. Uni-directional and bi-directional razor blade shaving devices have long been known and used for variety of shaving purposes. The uni-directional straight-edge razor blade devices with an in-line handle have been in use by barbers for more than a century. In recent times, personal shaving by individuals has become more predominant than the shaving by barbers. Moreover, the predominant manual wet-shaving devices over at least last fifty or so years have been based upon the classic T-bar razor, with its elongated razor head and an in-line handle, which runs perpendicular from the bottom edge of the razor's blade head.
Although razor blades and razor blade cartridges are manufactured in a wide variety of configurations, the width and the number of heads of razor blades and razor blade cartridges are typically standardized. Most users find these standardized blade heads and their numbers to be sufficient. In addition to conventional single headed razor blade shaving systems, currently, there are a few dual headed razor systems available in the market. However, most of the twin headed razor blade shaving systems comprise two similarly sized heads, which are disposed in opposition in-line with and on the same side of the handle of the system, rendering them as bi-directional shaving devices. An example of such a shaving system is described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,141,875 to Edward A. Andrews. Andrews discloses an in-line razor-blade shaving device, which features two sets of razor blades strips pointing outwardly in opposite directions. Each device features an elongated handle arranged in line with an elongated bi-directional razor blade head. The edges of the blade strips of the two sets may be arranged in one common working plane, or each set may be in its own working plane, with the planes at an angle to one another. To use the system, the user's wrist rotates at the end of each stroke (or at the beginning of the next stroke), to bring the other working plane, not currently on the skin, into engagement with the skin for the next stroke in the opposite direction.
In addition, there are other twin headed razor systems available, which comprise two heads which are not equal in width, and disposed on either side of the in-line handle. The wider razor blade heads are used to shave general shaving areas, while the narrower razor blade heads are used to shape areas like mustaches, under the nose, sideburns, and areas between the eyebrows. U.S. Pat. No. 6,052,905, to Anthony Branchinelli, discloses a razor for shaving and sculpting an area of hair on a user. The razor includes a first standard size razor head, a second narrow size razor head including a telescopic member extending therefrom and a handle including a top side integrally connected to the first standard size razor head; a first recess extending through the top side and into the handle forming a compartment; and a second recess extending along a length of the handle and providing access to the compartment. The telescopic member is received by the compartment and is slideable therein. A slideable member is connected to the telescopic member and extends through the second recess for sliding the telescopic member within the compartment whereby movement of the slideable member moves the second narrow size razor head between a first extended position in which the telescopic member extends substantially totally from the compartment and a second retracted position in which the telescopic member is substantially completely received within the compartment. Alternatively, the second narrow size razor head may also be integrally connected to the handle. Finally, the narrow size razor head may also be connected to an elongated handle by itself.
Although all of these razor blade systems have their respective uses to variety of users, apparently, none have achieved the benefits of a simple aggregation of multiple razor blade heads in maximizing the shaving area for each stroke of cutting, and while minimizing the number of strokes necessary to cleanly shaving hairs from different parts of the body. Since the twin razor blade heads of the first group of razors, in which the heads are disposed on one side of the in-line handle, are disposed in opposite direction to each other, the razor fails to shave a greater shaving area utilizing both heads in each stroke of cutting. Similarly, the twin headed razor blades of the second group utilize only one of the two heads for each stroke of cutting because the heads are disposed on either side of the in-line handle. Hence, the twin headed razor blade systems disclosed in the prior art are unable to derive the benefits from the attributes of multiple razor blade heads being disposed in one direction and on one side of the in-line handle, which is capable of shaving a greater area in each stroke of cutting.
A dual headed razor blade system is needed that optimally utilizes a pluralities of blade heads, the cutting edges of which are disposed in the same direction to each other and disposed on one side of the in-line handle. A dual headed razor blade system is needed which maximizes the shaving area for each stroke of cutting and minimizes the number of strokes necessary to cleanly shaving hair from different parts of a human body.